South Africa's AMCU to strike at Amplats over job cuts

Unemployment rate surges past 25 per cent

By Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo

09/25/2013|labour-reporter.com|Last Updated: 09/25/2013

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) — Members of South Africa's Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) at Anglo American Platinum will hold a strike to protest job cuts, AMCU President Joseph Mathunjwa said on Tuesday.

Mathunjwa said the required 48-hour strike notice was served to the company on Monday and the strike would start on Friday. Tuesday is a public holiday in South Africa.

Amplats, the world's top platinum producer, said last month that it would cut about 4,800 jobs - laying off 3,300 workers and paying off the rest.

The platinum arm of global mining group Anglo American had plans in January to cut 14,000 jobs but backed away from that target after a fierce backlash from the government and unions. But workers remain unhappy with the final result.

Job cuts are a sensitive issue in South Africa, where the unemployment rate is more than 25 per cent and mine labour violence rooted in a union turf war has killed dozens of people over the past 18 months.

Amplats spokeswoman Mpumi Sithole said the company received the notice and would engage with the AMCU.

"Strikes and work stoppages will result in further losses that will hamper plans for future sustainability," Sithole said.